An Umm Kulthum musical is coming to Dubai Opera for the Eid Al Fitr holidays.
Being staged at the Downtown Dubai venue from May 3 to 5, Umm Kulthum & The Golden Era will make its regional premiere after being launched with a one-off show at the London Palladium in the West End in 2020.
Written by Saudi Arabia's Mona Khashoggi, the English show will trace the life of the singer, born Fatima Ebrahim Al Sayyid Al Biltaji, from her poor upbringing in rural Egypt to her rise as one of the world’s greatest singers.
Featuring many of her signature tracks (sung in Arabic with English subtitles), such as Enta Omri, Alf Leila We Leila, Fakarouni and Al Atlal, the work also explores how Umm Kulthum not only managed to capture the tumultuous and revolutionary period facing the Arab world during her five-decade career, which began in the 1920s, but also how she reached the top of what was then a male-dominated Arabic music industry.
The Dubai show will be a homecoming for Khashoggi, who wrote the musical with the aim of taking the production internationally.
Born in Jeddah, Khashoggi relocated to London and her career found her focusing on reviving cultural stories from the Middle East for a global audience.
Her other projects include being a consultant to UK photographic institute Photo London and Jeddah's Hafez Gallery.
In an interview with The National prior to the London premiere, Khashoggi said she hoped Umm Kulthum & The Golden Era will become a key cultural export from the Arab world.
"Why don't we have something like Mamma Mia! about our culture?" She said the region has "so many great stories to tell".
As for the two-hour production, Khashoggi said it will be split into two acts.
The first focuses on the singer's humble upbringing and being inspired by the religious recitations of her father, the imam of the local mosque.
The second act will look at Umm Kulthum's road to fame and her collaborations with pre-eminent composers and lyricists such as Baligh Hamdi and Morsi Jamil Azizi.
More than the timeless songs, Khashoggi wants a new generation of international audiences to appreciate the success and struggles of one of the Arab world’s greatest cultural personalities.
As she told The National before the curtain fell for what was a well-received London show, she is confident Umm Kulthum’s music will translate anywhere in the world.
“I chose Umm Kulthum because I'm obsessed with her. I once played her music in a room full of westerners and everyone was enchanted."
Umm Kulthum & The Golden Era will be performed at Dubai Opera, May 3 to 5. Show starts at 8pm. Tickets begin from Dh350 at dubaiopera.com
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Tailors and retailers miss out on back-to-school rush
Tailors and retailers across the city said it was an ominous start to what is usually a busy season for sales.
With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
“We custom fit uniform pieces and use materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere.
“Depending on size, a white shirt with logo is priced at about Dh100 to Dh150 and shorts, trousers, skirts and dresses cost between Dh150 to Dh250 a piece.”
A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months.
“Now parents have the option to keep children doing online learning they don’t need uniforms so it has quietened down.”
Director: Shady Ali
Cast: Boumi Fouad , Mohamed Tharout and Hisham Ismael
Rating: 3/5
2.0
Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
The biog
Name: James Mullan
Nationality: Irish
Family: Wife, Pom; and daughters Kate, 18, and Ciara, 13, who attend Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS)
Favourite book or author: “That’s a really difficult question. I’m a big fan of Donna Tartt, The Secret History. I’d recommend that, go and have a read of that.”
Dream: “It would be to continue to have fun and to work with really interesting people, which I have been very fortunate to do for a lot of my life. I just enjoy working with very smart, fun people.”
Napoleon
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Results
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Rock in a Hard Place: Music and Mayhem in the Middle East
Orlando Crowcroft
Zed Books
